Skip to content
Sunday, Jan 29, 2023
serpaja america serpaja america

Home Design Ideas And Tips

June 11, 2022

Tips To Use Custom Rugs For Your Flooring

December 17, 2021

Decorating Ideas for a Refined Ambiance: 10 Classic Living Room Styles

September 8, 2021

Cake, pastry and whimsy are served at The Dinersaur bakery in Phoenix

Primary Menu
  • Decoration
  • Design
  • Exterior
  • Family Room
  • Interior
  • Home
  • This Boston-area home inspector has a popular Instagram account about the head-scratching things he encounters on the job
Family Room

This Boston-area home inspector has a popular Instagram account about the head-scratching things he encounters on the job

January 27, 2021
Emilee Geist
Read Time : 5 Minutes

“We looked at this thing and then we both looked at each other,” said Brock, owner of Boston Home Inspectors. “I just shrugged my shoulders and said, ‘We’ll leave it at TRX.’” From the humorous and bizarre to the downright unbelievable, for years Brock has been capturing images of surprising […]

“We looked at this thing and then we both looked at each other,” said Brock, owner of Boston Home Inspectors. “I just shrugged my shoulders and said, ‘We’ll leave it at TRX.’”

From the humorous and bizarre to the downright unbelievable, for years Brock has been capturing images of surprising scenarios — like the curious harness — he encounters each day on the job. He shares those experiences to his Instagram account, @bostonhomeinspectors, which has built a strong following for its amusing, at times mind-boggling content; an inside look at the pitfalls of homeownership that’s become an online reference for new and prospective buyers.

“I get so much great material from the inspections I perform,” Brock said of his account, which highlights all manner of home improvement missteps, from faulty wiring and mold to shoddy support beams and stairs that lead to nowhere. “Just funny stuff people can look at and laugh at.”

During the pandemic, Brock has found himself busier than usual, conducting inspections each week as people flock to suburban enclaves seeking more space. On the flip side, many empty-nesters have been downsizing by moving into the city so they have less to worry about when they head south to places like Florida.

“We’re catching both,” he said. “That’s been nice.”

Massachusetts recorded 6,410 single-family home sales in December, according to experts, a 28 percent increase from last December and the culmination of a months-long surge.

The influx in home inspections, which he conducts with his son, Aidan, has been a boon for Brock’s page, a space he tries to make informative and lighthearted.

Brock launched the account in 2016. Every year, the 55-year-old South Boston resident said he likes to find new ways to bolster his business, whether it’s buying fresh uniforms or improving customer reports.

That particular year, the father of six was having pizza with a few of his children when they suggested he dip his toes into social media to attract clients. Far from a web-savvy millennial, Brock was hesitant. But when his kids set up the account for him and he made his first post — a picture of a gas pipe fitting used on a water main — he fell victim to the familiar desire to share more and more with the world.

He started out small: a breathtaking view from the top of a condo in Boston, or an oddly placed sump pump outside of a garage.

Those gave way to images of mold hiding in cracks and crevices, and uneven deck beams or slanted window frames. Over time, the descriptions paired with each image became more amusing. And by the time he shared a picture of a skylight window that looked down onto a toilet in 2017, he had hit his stride.

James Brock climbs a ladder up a narrow access space to the roof of a Boston property.
James Brock climbs a ladder up a narrow access space to the roof of a Boston property. David L. Ryan/Globe Staff

“I’d sit at the dinner table and tell the kids, ‘Look at that! I finally have 100 followers!’” he said. “Each milestone I would say ‘Lookit!’”

Now, Brock has a formidable social media presence for someone in his industry, with more than 6,100 people following along as he documents what he describes as the “funny and unbelievable things found on home inspections.”

At times, Brock is even recognized by people for his account. Realtors will joke, “I hope this doesn’t get on your Instagram page!,” and new customers have reached out to him because of it.

He’s also adopted a formula: No more than one picture per day so he doesn’t flood his fans’ social media feeds and always use a good title. His favorite is simply, “Why???”

Part of the allure to keep it going, he admits, has been the feedback he receives from fans of his account about the puzzling home improvement blunders he sniffs out. Each post typically draws humorous comments that leave him thinking, “I should have used that.”

“No mushrooms needed for that trip,” someone wrote on a picture of a warped and wavy deck Brock posted this week.

Among his recent posts was a picture of a toilet installed in front of a curtain-less window that looks out directly at a neighbor’s house (“a [expletive] view,” a commenter quipped), a water spigot above a home’s electric panel; and floor joists haphazardly cut out in a basement to make room for a home gym.

Through it all, Brock mostly shakes his head in disbelief. Can it get any crazier, he thinks?

The answer, somehow, is always yes.


Steve Annear can be reached at [email protected] Follow him on Twitter @steveannear.

Source Article

Tagged in : account Bostonarea encounters headscratching Home inspector Instagram job Popular

Related Articles

August 17, 2020

Moms brace for school year juggling jobs, remote learning amid COVID-19 pandemic

November 11, 2020

How to travel safely during the COVID-19 pandemic

November 18, 2020

Poor Credit? Don’t Fall for a Christmas Loan

Post navigation

Previous Previous post: 7 Ways to Decorate with Checkerboard Patterns for a Bold Yet Classic Look
Next Next post: ‘RHOSLC’s Mary Cosby Responds to ‘Cruel’ Allegations and Explains ‘Going Missing’ From Season 1 (Exclusive)

Recent Posts

  • Factors to Consider When Looking For a 24-Hour Electrician
  • Can Any Wine Fridge Be Built-in?
  • Tips To Use Custom Rugs For Your Flooring
  • Tips For Choosing Countertops For a Kitchen Remodel
  • How to care for a wine cellar?

Archives

  • November 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022
  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • December 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020

Categories

  • Decoration
  • Design
  • Exterior
  • Family Room
  • Interior
January 2023
M T W T F S S
 1
2345678
9101112131415
16171819202122
23242526272829
3031  
« Nov    

Tags

Amazon Art Biden Black Business buy Christmas Coronavirus Covid COVID19 Day deals design family Fashion Finance Food gifts guide Heres Holiday Home House ideas Interior Kids life Local News offers Online Pandemic Sale school season Shop students Time Tips top Trump Virtual Ways world Year

About Us

  • Advertise Here
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Sitemap

Partner Links

Visit Now

Health
serpajamericalatina.org Theme: News Base by Themematic
Wednesday November 2, 2022